Most of today's commercially available personal watercraft have a hull and a deck disposed directly thereon. The deck has a pedestal onto which a straddle-type seat is disposed. When such watercraft travel over waves, the forces due to impacts between the hull and the waves are transferred to the driver and passengers which can make the riding experience uncomfortable, especially over long distances. The only cushioning against these impacts is provided by the padding in the seat.
In an effort to minimize the transfer of these forces to the driver and passengers, some watercraft have a suspension element, such as a spring and damper assembly, disposed between the seat and the deck. Although this reduces the transfers of these forces to the body of the driver and passengers, this arrangement tends to still solicit the legs of the driver and passengers since the seat now moves relative to the footrests formed in the deck as well as, for the driver, the hands and arms that have to follow the movement of the helm assembly.
Therefore, there is a need for a personal watercraft having a suspension system which reduces the strain on the driver.